We will be playing a four round swiss-style tournament. The first round is a random matching up of players. The second round will have the winners playing other winners and the losers playing other losers, and, of course, folks playing to a draw fitting in somewhere in the middle. Each round will progress in the same way with everyone playing folks of approximately equal strength. Everyone plays all four rounds; no one is "elminated". I will attempt to make sure everyone switches colors throughout the tournament, but I can make no guarantees from one round to the next.

For each win you will receive one point, for a draw you will get a half point and for a loss you will get nothing. Person with the most points at the end of the last round is the winner. Ties will be possible. Maybe we can have a playoff if we do wind up with a tie.

Folks who have expressed an interest but didn't confirm registering at Stan's Netchess are: guyo, insider, and reitsma. I will continue to accept entries from anyone for about another week.

I can't force anyone to keep a certain game pace, but I do encourage everyone to move as often as you are able to. There is a forfeit time out option that you must select when making a challenge. I recommend everyone go with either the 7 or 14 day option.

Once your game is complete, the players just need to report the results here and wait for the next round to begin.

Though i know this is late but i think in the future it would be easier to play in real time. By the two people setting up date and time, meeting up on yahoo or jippii, and playing, then recording the results on the board. That, or a ladder based chess matches could also work. Though that is, if this Chess thing is continued.

Sash : You challenge a person by going to that person's player page and clicking on his/her "challenge me" button. From there you just follow directions.

I will put together a page about our little tournament sometime later this week. I went ahead and started the games now so that the idea doesn't get stale while I putter around with a web page.

benev: Of course you are welcome to set up some live games; I don't have a monopoly on this deal. Correspondence chess is easier to set up than live chess IMO. We don't have to juggle time schedules at all, especially if trying to play someone in a different country ...

Just one question...now, I've issued you a challenge, and as I'm white I get to go first...and how, exactly, do I do that? Do I have to wait until you accept the challenge? Not seeing any possiblility to start the game...

Insider: I think you have to make a few modifications in your profile over, right now you don't accept challenges. And that makes it hard for me to challenge you Or if it possible you could challenge me and set yourself up as black...